When Ashfaq Syed gets sworn in to the Naperville City Council on Sunday, he’ll do so as the first Indian American and Muslim seated on the city’s dais.
“When I talk to my Indian friends, my Muslim friends, families, they are all so excited, as am I. We feel honored, I feel honored and proud that I will be representing everybody in this community,” said Ashfaq Syed, Naperville City Council member-elect.
Ashfaq Syed’s cultural and spiritual upbringing
Syed was born in Hyderabad, India, a place he credits with shaping his worldview.
“I lived there, a good life, education, [and] everything I have done in India,” said Syed.
A Naperville resident for eight years, Syed brings finance and banking skills from his career to his new role, as well as leadership experience from serving in various local organizations.
His roles have included serving as president of the Naperville Public Library Board of Trustees, a board member for Loaves & Fishes Community Services, and vice chair of Civic Engagement for the Islamic Center of Naperville, among other positions.
“Whenever I get into any organization, I try to contribute. So I am not somebody who is a dormant board member, who comes to meetings, attends the meetings, and leaves. No, I step up,” said Syed.
Looking to bring that mindset to the Naperville City Council, Syed said his approach is rooted in his cultural and spiritual upbringing.
“The Islamic values, the Muslim values, and the upbringing for me were so nice that they have given me freedom, they have given me education, they have given me everything, so that matches with my values,” said Syed.
Role model effect for future diverse candidates
With Syed becoming the first Indian American and Muslim to serve on the Naperville City Council, the role model effect could extend to other diverse communities, according to Dr. Suzanne Chod, professor of political science at North Central College.
“We can never discount when the first of a new kind of representative or a new kind of official gets elected, because the role model effect is very powerful. So now that we have the first Indian American on the city council, first Muslim on the city council, for those in the Naperville community who maybe hadn’t seen themselves in local government before, they see that now,” said Dr. Chod.
According to 2022 demographic numbers from the American Community Survey, Naperville is predominantly white at 65.1%, followed by the Asian community at 20.6%, and Hispanic or Latino at 6.5%. The remaining percentages are Black at 4.3%, and American Indian and Alaska Native at 0.2%.
“When the people who are making the decisions look like and have the experiences of the people in the community, the people have better results because there’s more of a connection,” said Dr. Chod.
Looking forward to representing all of Naperville
Though Syed is proud to represent the Indian American and Muslim communities, he said he looks forward to serving all of Naperville.
“We need to work for every community, every individual, and represent everybody. Being a city council member, I will be helping, supporting, and respecting every background, every person on this,” said Syed.
Photo courtesy: Ashfaq Syed
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